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One bite of the Double Cheeseburger at Hawkins House of Burgers and you’ll wonder why cooks bother with frou-frou touches like gorgonzola, brioche, arugula, and secret sauces. This straightforward setup of Angus beef, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and American cheese in between mayonnaise- and mustard-slathered commercial buns is an absolute slam-dunk.

With such unfussy ingredients at play, it is essential that each one shines, especially the meat of the matter. Here at Hawkins, the patties are formed by hand using coarsely ground beef. Each one is cooked to order on a hot griddle that imparts a definite sear, trapping the juices until the meat meets your teeth. It takes 20 minutes for a single burger to be constructed, but the best things in life are worth waiting for.